brach



Sept; 6, 393 L. BR CH 1,875,513

. LIGHTNING ARRESTER Fild May 11, 1928 Inn/Ewan LEON S. BRACH Q Patented Sept. 6, 1932 AUNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE v LEON 01' EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASBIGNOfi, BY MESH! ASSIGNMENTS,

'IKJ Gm RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY LIGHTNING Application fled lay 11,

This invention relates to a lightning arrester of the cartridge type in which there is provided a. plurality of spark gaps for msuring. a high degree of rehability and pro- '5 tection, and it is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide a lightning arrester which has a pluralit of spark gaps so arranged as to insure relia ility of action, and therefore a high degree of protection to the devices connectedto the line with which the arrester is associated. Other objects will i be apparent upon a stud of the specification,

taken in connection wit the annexed drawin in which:

igure 1 is a plan view of the arrester with the casing broken away and showlng certain of the parts in section.

metal inwardly so as to form abutments for the heads 4 of insulat in material. Associated with the outer sur ace of each of the hollow stud 9 which passes through the head 4, and has its end 11 spun over a washer 10 so as to draw the head 12 of the stud into .secure engagement with the plate 7. The head 4 is held in the end of the shell by crimping the end 15 of the shell 1 over the. inwardly turned edge 8 of the washer 5. This constructioii, therefore, connects in series the two spark gaps carried at opposite ends of the arrester.

The head 4is provided witha recess which is not shown in the section taken, and the end of the shell 1; ispushed inwardly, as in- These ar-fl 'rester elements are held in position by a x 1988. Serial No. 377,007.

dicated at 22 (see 2) to enter the said recess, thereby preventing the head 4 from turning within the shell. It may be noted that the shell 1 is preferably provided with a small openin opposite the gap 18, so as to permit inspection of the operation of this gap, if so desired. Since the shell 1 is broken away at this point, this opening does not show in the drawing.

Mounted within the shell 1, is a sealed chamber 23 within which are positioned electrodes 16 and 17, forming a s ark gap 18. Preferably, the electrodes 16 an 17 are made up of a plurality of twisted conductors of suitable material which are bound together adjacent the spark gap 18 by binding plates 19 and 20. The chamber 23 may be of any suitable material such as glass, which is hermetically sealed, and in certain cases, a partial vacuum may be produced within the chamber 23, or the chamber may be filled with some inert gas such as neon. In either case, the pressure within the chamber 23 is 'such as to permit the passing of an electrical current at a comparatively low voltage.

The electrodes 16 and 17 extend outside the chamber and are adapted to ass through the hollow studs 9, and are sol ered as at 14, to the heads 12 of the studs, a recess 13 bein provided to assist in making a good soldere connection at this *point. The thickness of the mica insulators or spacers 6, is chosen so that the voltage to jumpthis gap is somewhat higher than the voltage required to jump the gap 18 within the sealed chamber 23:

In ordinary operation of the arrester, the

pair the operation of the gap 18, then the spark ga s at the ends of the arrester will take the 'scharge'. In case of unusual lightning disturbances, all of the spark gaps may be brought intoo eration, even though the aps at the ends 0 the arrester are connected in seriesmultiple with the gap 18; 7

From what'has been said, it willbe readilg understood that the two seriesgaps connecte in multiple with the main arrester gap within the sealed chamber, provide an auxiliary pro tection which is of considerable value, as these arresters are frequently installed on circuits where it is not safe to depend on one gap.

stud carried by each of said heads, a metal washer on the outer surface of each of said heads connected to said shell but spaced from said its associated stud, a metal contact plate associated with each of said studs, a spark gap disc of suitable insulating material located between said metal washer and the contact plate, a sealed chamber of insulating material located within said shell and electrodes carried by said chamber to form a spark gap inside the chamber and to extend through said hollow studs for connection therewith.

2. A lightning arrester having; a metal shell, heads of insulating material for closing each end of the shell, a hollow terminal stud carried by each of said heads, a metal -washer"on the outer surface of each of said heads connected to said shell but spaced from said its associated stud, a metal contact plate associated with each of said studs, a s ark gap disc of suitable insulating materia located between said metal washer and the contact plate, a sealed chamber located within said shell, electrodes carried by said chamber and extendin within and without the same, those portions within the chamber forming a spark ap while those portions without the cham er are adapted to pass through said hollow studs for connection thereto, said chamber having the gas therein in such condition that a comparatively low voltage will jump the spark gap within the chamber.

3. A li htning arrester having; a metal shell, hea s of insulating material for closing each end of the shell, a hollow terminal stud carried by each of said heads, said heads having their outer edges beveled, a metal washer on the outer surface ofeach of said heads, but spaced from its associated stud said washers having crimped edges to fit the bevel edges of the heads, the ends of a chamber to form a spark gapinside the chamber and to extend through said hollow studs for connection therewith.

4. A lightning arrester having; a metal shell with annular interior'abutments near each end, heads of insulating material resting against said abutments and closing the ends of the shell, a hollow terminal stud carried by each of said heads, said heads having their outer edges beveled, a metal washer on the outer surface of each of said heads but spaced from its associated stud, said washers having crimped edges to fit the bevel cated between said metal washer and the contact late, a sealed chamber of insulating materia 'located within said shell and electrodes carried by said chamber to form a spark gap inside the chamber and to extend through said hollow studs for connection therewith.

5. A lightning arrester having; a metal shell with annular interior abutments near eachend,headsofinsulatin material heldby the shell from turning an against said abut-t ments, spark gap elements comprising conducting elements separated by a suitable perforate insulator carried by each of said heads, one conducting element of each gap held by the shell against said head, a hollow stud associated with a cooperating conducting element of each gap and actingto hold all of said spark g'a elements on said heads a sealed chamber 0 insulating material located within said shell and electrodes carried by said chamber to form a spark gap inside the chamber and to extend through said hollow studs for connection therewith.

6. A lightning arrester having; a metal shell, heads of insulating material carried in each end of the shell, spark gap elements comprising conducting elements separated by a perforated insulator positioned on the outer surface of said heads one of said conductinglelements being in contact with the shell a ollow stud passing through said gap elements and fastened to said heads for holding the said g'a elements in place a sealed chamber of insu ating material located within said shell and electrodes carried by said chamber to form a spark gap inside the chamber and to extend throu h said hollow studs for connection therewit I 7. A lightning arrester having plural spark gaps, vone gap being within a sealed chamber, a protecting shell for the chamber and a spark the shell, sai shell connecting the corresponding conducting elements of the last gap positioned at each end of Y with the sealed-in. gap.

mentioned gaps while the co-operating elements of the last mentioned ga s are connected one each to the electrodes orming the sealed in ap. 8. A lig tning arrestcr of the cartridge type comprising a metal shell, spark gap elements consistin of current conducting elements separate by a suitable perforated insulator mounted at the ends of said shell which also servesto connect said spark gaps in series relation; a sealedchamber within said shell and having electrodes formin a spark ga within the chamber and exten ing outside. the chamber for connection to the corgaps not connected by said shell.

responding elements of said first mentioned 70 sulators and separated by mica washers of a desired thickness, said shell serving to interconnect said spark gaps on said insulators in series with said spark gaps in parallel with the sealed-in spark gap.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

LEON S. BRAOH.

9. A" lightning arrestor of the cartridge type having a metal shell, s ark ga ,elements carried at each end of the sliell an arranged so as to be connected in series by said shell, a sealed chamber within the shell and having electrodes forming a spark gap within the chamber, said electrodes extending from the chamber and-connected in parallel to the two series of 10. A type inclu trodes forming a spark gap therewit in, a

conducting shell for car ing the chamber and a set of air spark gap e ements positioned at each end of t e shell and connected in series by the shell but connected in parallel with the sealed in gap.

11. A lightning arrester of the cartridge type including a sealed chamber havin electrodes forming a spark p therewit in, a

shellwfor car 'ng the c amber, insulators carried on ea h end of the shell, spark gap and separated by perforated mica washers of a desired thickness, said shell serving to connect said spark ga on said insulators 5 in series and said gaps-hzing in parallel with the sealed in gap.

12. A lightning arrester of the cartridge type including; a sealed chamber having e a s. ig htning arrester of the cartridge I ing a sealed chamber havin elecelements mounted on each of said insulators iii? ectrodes forming a slgrk gap therewithin,

a shell for carrying said'sealedchamber, a set of air spark gap elements positioned at 60 each end the shell and electrically con- Q nected in series, but connected in parallel 13.-A lightning arrester of t pe comprising. a metal shell, spark gap 5c ements consisting of current conducting elements, separated by a suitable insulator at the ends of said shell which shell also serves 65 14. A lightning arrester' of "the carthe cartridge I which are 

